New Testament · Acts 1:4–8Acts 2:1–47
Pentecost — Bible Story for Kids
Jesus' followers were praying together when the Holy Spirit came like wind and fire. They spoke in other languages, and about three thousand people believed.
This is a retelling for children, written by BibleKenya from the Bible passages shown on each picture. It is not a Bible translation.
Before Jesus went back to heaven, he told his friends, "Wait in Jerusalem. The will come and give you power."
Jesus told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. "You will receive power when the has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth."
On the day of they were all together. Suddenly there was a sound like a strong wind. Something like little flames of fire rested on each of them.
When the day of had come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house. Tongues like fire appeared and sat on each one of them.
Bible explorer Pentecost was a Jewish harvest festival held fifty days after Passover.
They were filled with the and began to speak in other languages. Visitors from many countries heard them speaking in their own languages and were amazed!
They were all filled with the and began to speak with other languages. Devout Jews from every nation were in Jerusalem. Each one heard them speaking in his own language, telling the mighty works of God. They were all amazed.
Bible explorer Acts 2:9-11 lists more than fifteen places the visitors came from.
stood up and told everyone about Jesus. About three thousand people believed and were !
stood up and spoke: "Jesus of Nazareth... God raised him up." The people were cut to the heart and asked, "What shall we do?" Peter said, "Repent, and be , every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ." About three thousand people were added that day.
The believers learned together, prayed together, ate together and shared what they had. God added more people every day.
They continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and , in the breaking of bread and prayer. All who believed shared everything and gave to anyone in need. They ate together with gladness, praising God, and the Lord added to the day by day those who were being saved.
The end of the story
Read it in the Bible
This is the Bible text itself, from the version shown. Scripture in WEBWorld English Bible — Protestant Edition
Acts 1:4–8 WEB
4Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. 5For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
Acts 2:1–47 WEB
1Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. 4They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. 5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky. 6When this sound was heard, the multitude came together and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. 7They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans? 8How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabians—we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!” 12They were all amazed and were perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. 15For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. 18Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. 19I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood, and fire, and billows of smoke. 20The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. 21It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 22“Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves know, 23him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; 24whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. 25For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. 26Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope, 27because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. 28You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ 29“Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31he foreseeing this, spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay. 32This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. 33Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you now see and hear. 34For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand 35until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ 36“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 40With many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. 42They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. 43Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44All who believed were together, and had all things in common. 45They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. 46Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.
Who is in the story?
- Peter He preached to the crowd on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14).
- The apostles Jesus' followers, who waited in Jerusalem as he told them (Acts 1:4).
Words to learn
- Baptism
- Baptism means being washed in water as a sign of following God. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.
- Church
- In the New Testament, the gathered community of Jesus' followers, not a building. The Greek word means an assembly.
- Holy Spirit
- The Holy Spirit is God's Spirit. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to Jesus' friends with a sound like wind and flames like fire.
- Koinonia (fellowship)
- Greek for sharing, partnership or fellowship: having something in common. The first believers devoted themselves to it.
- Pentecost (Feast of Weeks)
- Pentecost was a harvest festival. On that day God sent the Holy Spirit to Jesus' friends in Jerusalem.
What can we learn from this passage?
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, and at Pentecost the promise came true. People from many nations heard about God in their own languages, and the believers became a sharing, praying family. Acts 1:8Acts 2:4–11Acts 2:42